Weight loss after pregnancy
Pregnancy is a time when most women put on between 25-30 pounds of weight. Although women would want to be rid of this fat after delivery, many women find it difficult to lose this weight and it becomes a vicious cycle.
Women have difficulty losing weight after delivery because of many reasons, but prime amongst them is your newborn child. You newborn is a very demanding task and will leave you with very less time for yourself. Even in this small period of time you might not want to exercise because you just don't have the energy after taking care of your baby and doing the household chores. So many women just give up and end up obese. I will give you a few tips which will help you shed the pregnancy fat.
Eat right to energize yourself
Paying importance to what you eat is very important while losing weight. You must avoid all forms of empty calories like sodas, coffee, candy, chocolate and alcohol. You should also try to eliminate processed food like refined flour and sugar from your diet. You should instead consume food rich in protein and complex carbs like lean meat and whole grain varieties of bread and pasta. Also include plenty of vegetables and fruits in your diet. They are a good source of vitamins, minerals and fiber.
Always try to eat smaller meals. If you had three courses earlier, try to stagger the three course like you can have soup at around 11 am, followed by salad an hour or so later, and lunch comprising of high protein and low fat around 2 afternoon. This way you will have consumed the same foods but your body would have metabolized them better. Eating smaller frequent meals also helps arrest the insulin spike seen after every meal this reducing weight gain. If you are breast feeding then you will require around 550 Kcal and 10 gram of protein extra. So remember to consume these.
Also drink plenty of water; your body will require at least 8-10 glasses of water every day.
Time outs
After your baby is born, all your activities and needs are dictated by the baby, so it is natural that women may not find sufficient time for exercise if they want to. This should be no problem if you delegate a few tasks to your husband or your mother. Ask your husband to help with house work and he can do the shopping and other things like laundry etc. You can plan a small workout of 20-30 min every time your child goes to sleep. Start slow and increase your pace.
You can seek the help of your mother or mother-in-law to look after the baby while you exercise. Or alternatively you can take your baby out for a stroll in the park. This will give the much required exercise and also keep your baby happy.
30 min of cardio everyday will do immense good for your body, as your weight goes down you will realize that your energy levels are high.
Sleep is another important factor which is neglected by most new mothers. You should try to sleep while your baby is sleeping, this way you will get your sleep as well as be fresh when the baby wakes up. Sleep helps us function physically and mentally well, even a few hours of less sleep can lead to poor concentration and memory. So sleep well.
And finally, motivate yourself. Set an easy target and try to achieve it first before moving on, let's say you decide to skip coffee and carbonated drinks. Do not give up till you succeed. Co-opt you husband and he will be a good motivation for you. Try to visualize your goal, try to see how you want to look six months from now. This will help you to maintain focus.
Losing weight after pregnancy is no big deal. You can effectively banish all the fat by eating right and exercising appropriately. With a good body your energy levels will rise and you will feel good about yourself. This will translate into a lot of benefits for your family, because if the mother is happy, everybody is happy.
For more information on weight loss after pregnancy and other article about pregnancy and childcare visit http://www.pregnancyandchildcare.info
Sriram is a practicing physician specializing in women health conditions. He has written may articles on various health topics.
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